Chapter 18: Entering the Bridal Chamber

Ji Linmo stared in disbelief, his eyes wide.
How could this be?
Was his analysis of the rules wrong?
The Ghost Bride could appear in the morning?
No, that couldn’t be right. When he entered the scenario, he clearly saw the title: Night of the Ghost Bride.
The Ghost Bride could not appear when it was not night.
Unless...
Unless the time was wrong, the clock above the door had been set incorrectly!
Ji Linmo instinctively took a step back, then quickly regained his composure.
No matter the situation, the rules of the game always held true at their core.
Finding the rules that governed the current scene was his top priority.
Yet, the bedroom before him remained unchanged; there was no slip of paper or anything that might indicate the rules.
“Do you like it?”
The Ghost Bride yanked away the quilt from his head and shoved Ji Linmo back onto the bed.
Because he didn’t know the rules, Ji Linmo dared not act rashly. He pressed his back against the wall, allowing the Ghost Bride to lift a knee between his parted legs.
“Or do you not like it?”
The Ghost Bride reached out, lifting a corner of the red veil, revealing a faintly smiling face.
Looking at that face—youthful and fresh, as if it belonged to a student—Ji Linmo felt an indescribable emotion.
—Yucai High School, Class 2 of Grade 11, Qin Feng
This child, like him back then, entered the world of horror at eighteen.
Now, dressed in wedding attire, neither human nor ghost.
......
Cautiously, Ji Linmo remained silent.
But seeing Ji Linmo say nothing, the youth’s alluring eyes curved into crescents as he reached toward Ji Linmo’s chest, his clear eyes misty, gazing at him as if intoxicated.
“You don’t speak, so it seems you don’t mind.”
“Well then, I’ll continue with the bridal chamber.”
What?
Ji Linmo’s expression froze, almost thinking he’d misheard.
But the other, as if to prove his words, pressed his body firmly and resolutely against him.
Cold breath brushed against Ji Linmo’s ear, barely perceptible.
Was this a joke?
Was he really about to consummate the wedding?
“Wait...”

Seeing the other truly beginning to push his limits, Ji Linmo could no longer endure it. He shoved him away and quickly stood up.
“Hm?”
Catching a flash of dissatisfaction in the Ghost Bride’s eyes, Ji Linmo felt a pang of anxiety.
He hesitated, then spoke to explain himself.
“I’m a bit nervous. Could I use the bathroom first?”
The Ghost Bride hesitated, but eventually nodded.
Based on previous rules, Ji Linmo knew the other disliked waiting, so he quickly darted out of the bedroom.
Where? Where were the rules for the bridal chamber this time?
Ji Linmo searched the room swiftly.
He didn’t dare slack off, checking every corner carefully, but found nothing.
No, that couldn’t be.
He was always thorough; if a slip of paper marking the rules were here, he would have found it.
The place hiding the rules could only be somewhere he would never normally check.
Ji Linmo looked up at the old-fashioned clock above the iron door.
Assuming no one had entered his room, what could have caused the clock to be inaccurate?
He quickly grabbed a stool, stood on it, and took down the clock.
Opening the back cover, as expected, Ji Linmo found a slip of paper.
It was wedged among the clock’s springs, causing them to stick and making the clock run faster.
[Kind Reminder]
[1. Tonight is your wedding night; please do not defy your beloved’s requests.]
[2. The paths of humans and ghosts diverge; it is said ghosts absorb the vital energy of the living. Maintaining body and soul’s purity is crucial. Please ensure you have placed your beloved’s preferred red candle on the bedside table and light it in time.]
[3. The long night is lonely; your beloved hates being neglected. Don’t let him feel abandoned.]
[4. A warm embrace is favored by your beloved, but mind the timing.]
Ji Linmo quickly put the clock back and frowned deeply.
Rule two implied he must avoid overly intimate contact with the Ghost Bride. But what did placing a red candle mean? Where was he supposed to find a red candle at a time like this?
As the seconds ticked by, lingering too long might make the Ghost Bride feel neglected, which left Ji Linmo troubled.
Just then, a thought struck him, and he dashed into the bathroom.
On the sink lay a stick of white incense.
He tore off several red “Double Happiness” paper cutouts from the wall, quickly folded them into a cylinder, and placed the incense inside.
—Whether it was actually a red candle didn’t matter; what mattered was that the Ghost Bride believed it to be one.
As long as he wasn’t found out, the rule was satisfied.
“I’m back.”
As soon as Ji Linmo returned to the bedroom, the Ghost Bride eagerly pressed himself against him.

But Ji Linmo acted calmly, placing the incense at the bedside and lighting it with his lighter.
In the glow, the golden flame flickered.
The Ghost Bride’s demeanor instantly became more refined. He sat properly at the edge of the bed, no longer hurried or impatient.
So that’s it—the so-called purity of body and soul was achieved this way.
Ji Linmo understood now.
As long as the candle remained lit, the Ghost Bride would not attempt to consummate the marriage, and both would remain safe.
“This candle...”
Suddenly, the Ghost Bride appeared suspicious, gazing at the candle.
Just as he was about to scrutinize it, Ji Linmo didn’t hesitate. He blocked the candle with his back and embraced the Ghost Bride.
“It’s our wedding night... Let’s just hold each other for a while.”
An eerie silence spread through the room.
Ji Linmo, fearful that the Ghost Bride might notice something amiss, held him tightly, preventing him from peeking at the candle.
But suddenly, Ji Linmo felt an intense chill in his limbs.
He’d felt it earlier while touching the Ghost Bride, but had assumed it was just his imagination.
Now, though, the cold was unmistakable.
This unnatural chill, damp to the very soul, wrapped itself around his body like vines, spreading outward.
This was bad...
Lowering his gaze, Ji Linmo saw tiny ice crystals forming on the skin of his arms.
His body was freezing!
—The paths of humans and ghosts diverge; it is said ghosts absorb the vital energy of the living.
Every physical contact with the Ghost Bride secretly drained his vital energy!
Ji Linmo’s eyes darkened.
The damaged clock had robbed him of his sense of time.
The incense would last at most fifteen minutes; if dawn didn’t arrive by then, the Ghost Bride would continue to touch him, absorbing his energy until he became an ice statue!
Thinking this, Ji Linmo quickly released his embrace and put some space between them.
“The embrace felt wonderful,”
The youth squinted those seductive eyes, smiling enigmatically at him.
“Could we embrace again?”
“I’d really like to hold you once more.”